Friday, November 2, 2012

The Taj Mahal

Agra [1] is the city of the Taj Mahal, in the north Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh , some 200 km from Delhi .
Agra has three UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Taj Mahal and the Agra
Fort in the city and Fatehpur Sikri nearby. There are also many other
buildings and tombs from Agra's days of glory as the capital of the
Mughal Empire.
The city has little else to recommend it. Pollution, especially smog
and litter, is rampant and travellers are pestered byswarms of touts
and hawkers at every monument, mosque, temple or palace. That said,
the sites are some of the wonders of the world and no trip to India is
complete withoutat least one visit to the Taj.
[ edit ] Understand
While Agra's heyday was as the capital of the Mughal empire between
1526 and 1658, the city was founded much earlier. The earliest
reference to Agra is in the ancient epic, the Mahabharata, while
Ptolemy was the first person to call it by its modern name. The
recorded history of Agra begins around the 11th century, and over the
next 500 years, the city changed hands between various kings, both
Hinduand Muslim.
In 1506, Sultan Sikandar Lodi, the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, moved
his capital from Delhi to Agra. His son Ibrahim Lodi was the last
ruler of the Lodi dynasty, as he was defeated in 1526 by Babur, the
first Mughal ruler, in the battle of Panipat. Agra fell too, and
became the capital of the Mughals, whose rule over Agra was
uninterrupted except for a brief period between 1540 and 1556. In
1540, Sher Shah Shuri overthrew Humayun became the ruler of much of
North India, including Agra. After SherShah Suri's death his
descendants proved unequal to the task of ruling the kingdom, and
Hemu, a Hindu general ofSuri became the effectiveruler who would later
crown himself King Hemachandra Vikramaditya just as the kingdom was
facing an assault from the reinvigorated Mughals. In 1556, Hemu would
be defeated and killed in the second battle of Panipat, and the
Mughalsregained Agra.
Mughals were great builders. Babur built the Aram Bagh (garden of
relaxation) modeled after the garden of paradise, where he was
eventually buried after his death. His grandson Akbar refurbished the
Agra fort and built the Fatehpur Sikri , an entire city just on the
outskirts of Agra. He also renamed Agra after himself, and the city
was known as Akbarabad while it was in Mughal hands. Akbar's grandson
Shah Jehan would give Agra its most famous monument, the Taj Mahal ,
which is the mausoleum of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal . The Taj is
constructed in white marble. It took 20 years to construct, and is now
universally known as a monument to love. Legend has it that Shah Jehan
wanted a replica of the Taj constructed in black marble that would be
his final resting place. There is no actual support for this theory,
but even if it were true, it would have been unlikely to be
eventuated. His son Aurangzeb was austere and pious, and had no time
or inclination for the ostentation of his forefathers, preferring
tospend his money on warsin South India. In any case, even during Shah
Jehan's reign, which was the period when the Mughal empire was at its
height, the construction of the Taj put a strain on the resources of
the empire and caused a min-famine around Agra.Shah Jehan was
eventually buried in the white Taj, next to his beloved Begum.
Shah Jehan, in addition to giving Agra its greatest claim to fame, was
also responsible for beginning its decline, as decided to shift his
capital to Shahjehanabad, which we now know as Old Delhi, in 1658.
Though Aurangzeb ordered a move back, this too was short lived, as he
moved his headquarters down south to Aurangabad to be focus on his
wars. Agra declined, and so didthe Mughal Empire. The city was
eventually captured by the Marathas, who renamed it back to Agra. In
1803, itcame under the British, who situated the Agra Presidency
there, and when India gained independence, the city was incorporated
into the state of Uttar Pradesh, and did not gain even the limited
honour of being the state's capital, that distinction going to Lucknow
, further east. It is now a tourist town, known for the Taj and a
couple of other monuments.
Anyone interested in reading a novel based onthe remarkable story
behind the Taj Mahal's creation should consider Beneath a Marble Sky
by John Shors. Beneath a Marble Sky is an international bestseller,
has won multiple awards, and is being made into a movie by Hollywood.
Other book (historical fiction) is The Taj by Colin De Silva.
[ edit ] Get in
Agra is 200 km southeast from Delhi and is one of the points of the
tourist'sGolden Triangle of Agra- Delhi - Jaipur . Agra is alsovery
well connected via rail and road with other nearby cities and tourist
destinations.
[ edit ] By plane
Service to Agra's Kheria Airport ( IATA : AGR ICAO : VIAG ) is
seasonal. As of November 2008, the city is served by Kingfisher
Airlines and Air India Regional, who both fly on the Delhi -Agra-
Jaipur tourist triangle route. The flight time to either is less than
an hour. Travelers have had trouble with extreme lateness, and for
that reason a hired car may be a safer (and probably cheaper)
alternative.
[ edit ] By train
Agra is on the main train line between the Delhi - Mumbai (Bombay) and
Delhi - Chennai routes, and many trains connect Agra with these cities
every day. Some east-bound trains from Delhi also travel via Agra, so
direct connections to points in Eastern India (including Kolkata ) are
also available. There are close to 20 trains to Delhi every day, and
at least three or four to both Mumbai and Chennai. Agra and Delhi are
notorious for their thick winter fog which reduces visibility to
almost zero. If travelling in late December or early January (the fog
season), travelers should be aware that, because of the reduced
visibility, all trains slow down and travel time goes up. The Bhopal
Shatabdi, for example, may arrive in Agra well after 10AM, andmight
return to Delhi well after midnight. Froma safety point of view, it is
always preferable to travel by train during thewinters. Driving in fog
onthe road is very risky. There are three stations in Agra:

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Does a person who died of cancer as a result of smoking attain the status of a martyr?

Does a person who died of cancer as a result of smoking attain the
status of a martyr?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is proven in the saheeh Sunnah that there are various kinds of
martyrs who will attain the status of martyrdom in the Hereafter; this
is by the grace and mercy of Allah.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "The martyrs are five: the one who dies of the plague, the one
who dies of a stomach disease, the one who drowns, the one who is
crushed beneath a falling wall, and the martyr who is killed for the
sake of Allaah."
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Ibn al-Teen said: All of these are deaths which involve hardship.
Allah has bestowed His grace upon the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) by making them means of erasing their sins
and increasing their rewards, and enabling them to attain the status
of martyrdom.
Fath al-Baari, 6/44
If a person dies of cancer, some of the scholars are of the view that
he is included among the types of martyr mentioned in thehadeeth, on
the basis that the word mabtoon (the one who dies of a disease in the
abdomen)is general and includes everyone who dies of a disease in his
abdomen and that this does not apply to any one specificdisease.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The word mabtoon means the one with a disease in the abdomen, which is
diarrhoea. Al-Qaadi said: And it was said that he is the one who
suffers from dropsy or oedema and swelling of the abdomen. And it was
said that it refers to the one who suffers some disease in his
abdomen. And it was said that it refers to anyone who dies from a
disease in the abdomen in general. End quote from Sharh Muslim by
al-Nawawi.
But it should be noted that this suggestion is connected to two conditions:
(i) that the site of the cancer be in the abdomen so
that he maytruly be said to be mabtoon.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Muhsin al-'Abbaad (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
Does a person who dies of cancer come under the heading of mabtoon?
He replied:
No, because cancer is not always in the stomach; it may be somewhere
other than the stomach.
Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood (tape no. 230)
As the site of your friend's cancer was in the throat, he is not
included among any of the groups who are regarded as martyrs.
(ii) that the disease should not have been caused by
smoking, taking drugs or drinking alcohol, or other haraam things,
unless he has repented sincerely from that and has given up consuming
those haraam things.
This condition is general and applies to all those mentioned in the
hadeeth. If a woman is pregnant as the result ofzina and dies in
labour, she is not regarded as one of the martyrs. If a person who
drowned had boarded the boat orship in order to commit sin or some
immoral activity, and dies as a result of drowning, he is not one of
the martyrs. Aperson who is killed by afalling wall when he is
committing zina or drinking alcohol is not one of the martyrs. In the
answer to question no. 45669, we have quoted the Standing Committee as
saying thata person who dies as theresult of a car accident when he
was inside the car comes under the same heading as one who was killed
by a falling wall, so he is a martyr, by Allah's leave. But this
cannot be applied to those foolish young men to whom thishappens when
they are racing in their cars, or tothose who compete in difficult
circumstances inthe mountains or in the snow ("extreme sports").
In the answer to question no. 22140 , we quoted Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah as saying that if a person drowns after boarding a ship
forsinful purposes, he is nota martyr.
And elsewhere he said:
Whoever wants to follow a path where the possibilities of being safe
or being killed are equal has to refrain fromfollowing it; if he does
not refrain, then he is aiding in his own destruction so he is not
amartyr.
Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 5/381
Al-Suyooti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Al-Qurtubi said: This and the previous one -- i.e., those who are
killed by a falling wall or drowning -- if they did not take risks and
did not fail to take precautions, (then they are martyrs). But if they
did not take precautionsand died as a result of that, then they are
sinners.
Al-Deebaaj 'ala Muslim (4/508)
In al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (26/273, 274) it says:
An exception is made in the case of one who travels for the purpose of
sin and dies away from home. Another exception is made in the case of
one who drowns but was sinning by boarding the ship when he knew that
it was most likely not to be safefor him to do so, or he boarded it
for the purpose of committing sin. Another exception is made in the
case of a woman who is pregnantas a result of zina and dies in
childbirth. End quote.
If the person who is slainin battle was fighting forthe sake of
tribalism or to show off, he does not attain the virtue or status of
martyrdom, and it is more likely that such people will not attain that
great reward.
Summary:
Cancer in and of itself does not mean that the person who dies of it
is one of the types of martyrs, unless the disease was in his abdomen.
That is not what is stated in the hadeeth; rather it is the ijtihaad
(opinion) of some scholars with regard to the meaning of mabtoon. If a
person'sdisease was caused by smoking and the like, and he dies of it
before repenting, then he is nota martyr, even if the disease was in
his abdomen. But if the disease in his abdomen was not the result of a
haraam action, we hope that he will attain the status of the martyrs
in the Hereafter, in sha Allah.
And Allaah knows best.

Defining the time for salaat al-istisqaa’ (prayerfor rain)

Is there any report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) which definesthe time for going out topray Salaat
al-Istisqaa' (prayer for rain)?
Praise be to Allaah.
There is a hadeeth in Sunan Abi Dawood with an acceptable isnaad from
'Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) which states that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set a day when the
people should go out. 'Aa'ishah said: "The Messenger of Allaah(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out when the rim of the sun
appeared…" The hadeeth clearly indicates that a day was set when the
people were to go out to pray Salaat al-Istisqa', even though it does
not namethis day. More than one of the scholars have stated that it is
mustahabb to choose Mondays and Thursdays, because deeds are shown to
Allaah on those days, and because these are good days for fasting. So
if the Muslimscombine fasting and praying for rain, their du'aa's in
this case are more likely to be accepted.
It may be said that it is not prescribed to single out these two days
rather than others, because that was not proven from the Prophet(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from any of the Sahaabah, and
this is thecorrect view. So it is not prescribed to choose one day
rather than another without there being any text to prove that. What
is prescribed is to choose a day on which the people shouldgo out,
which may happen to be a Monday or any other day, according to what is
in the people's best interests and according to what is convenient for
them.

Salaat al-Haajah

My question has to do with praying to allah for a need. I know it is
called satatul hajah. Howmany times does a person have to pray it and
when should it be prayed. Is it right to prayit at the times when
duaas are most likely to be answered
Praise be to Allaah.
It is prescribed for the Muslim to worship Allaahin the ways that He
has prescribed in His Book, and in the ways that have been proven from
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The
principleconcerning matters of worship is tawqeef [i.e., following
what is in the Qur'aan and saheeh Sunnah; with no room for individual
opinion]. And we cannot say that any act of worship is prescribed
unless there is saheeh evidence.
The so-called Salaat al-Haajah was narrated in da'eef (weak) or munkar
(denounced) ahaadeeth – as far as weknow – which cannot beused as
proof and whichare not fit to base acts ofworship on.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 8/162
The hadeeth narrated concerning Salaat al-Haajah says:
"From 'Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Awfa al-Aslami, who said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out to us and
said: 'Whoever has need of something from Allaah or any one of His
creation, let him do wudoo' and pray tworak'ahs, then let him
say,"There is no god but Allaah, the Forbearing, the Most Generous.
Glorybe to Allaah, Lord of the mighty Throne. Praise beto Allaah the
Lord of the Worlds. O Allaah, I ask You for Your mercy and forgiveness
and I ask You for all good things and for safety from all sins. I ask
You not to leave any sin without forgiving it, or any distress without
relieving it, or any need which it pleases You to fulfil without
fulfilling it for me." Then let him askAllaah for whatever matter of
this world or the Hereafter that he wishes, for it will be fulfilled."
(Narrated by Ibn Maajah,Iqaamat al-Salaah wa'l-Sunnah, 1374)
Al-Tirmdihi said: this is a ghareeb [strange] hadeeth, and concerning
its isnaad it was said: Faa'id ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan is weak in hadeeth.
Al-Albaani said: rather it is da'eef jiddan (very weak). Al-Haakim
said: mawdoo' (fabricated) ahaadeeth were narrated from Abu Awfa.
Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, vol. 1, p. 417
The author of al-Sunan wa'l-Mubtada'aat said, after mentioning what
al-Tirmidhi said concerning Faa'id ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan: Ahmadsaid he
is matrook (left, i.e., his hadeeth is not to be accepted), and Ibn
al-'Arabi described him as da'eef (weak).
And he said: You know what is said concerning this hadeeth. It is
better and more perfect and safer for you to make du'aa' to Allaah in
the depths of the night and between the adhaan and iqaamah and at the
end of every prayer before the tasleem; and on Fridays, for then there
are times when du'aa' is answered; and when breaking one's fast. For
your Lord says (interpretation of the meanings):
'Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask
Mefor anything] I will respond to your (invocation)'[Fussilat 40:60]
'And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer
them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the
invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any
mediator or intercessor)'[al-Baqarah 2:186]

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Sufees - HADRAT FARIDUDDIN GANJ-E-SHAKAR (R.A)

The Reverend Pir of Hadrat Qutab Jamal
Shaikh Fariduddin was born in 569/1173-74 or 571/1175-76. His father
was a scholar, but it was his lengthy an exceedingly pious woman, who
prayed nightly at lengthy vigils, who exerted the greaterinfluence on
the future sufi saint. One story regarding the spiritual power of Baba
Farid's mother related is that a thief, entering the houseglanced at
the playing woman and was instantly blinded. The thief implored the
Swhaikh's mother to restore his eyesight. She did so, and the
blindnesswas removed. The following day, the thief returned with his
family to the Shailkh's house and was converted to Islam.
His mother's influence helped to promote an extreme asceticism in
Shaikh farid. Unconcerned with food or clothing, he was constantly
occupied withmeditation in a place behind the mosque at Khtwal. The
townsfolk came to believe he was deranged, and they spoke so to Shaikh
Jalau'd-Din Tabrizi of Baba Farid and what to them were his strange
habits.
When Jalalu'd-Din Tabrizi went to see BabaFarid he had only torn
clothing to wear so he had great difficulty in presenting himself
respectably to his distinguished visitor. Jalalu'd-Din had with him a
pomegranate, andbroke it, offering it to Baba Farid. As the Baba was
fasting he refused to eat it, but after his guest had left he picked
up a seed and in the evening ate that. Instantly his heart was
illuminated and he lamented no having eaten the whole fruit. However
in Dehli KhwajaQubu'd Din consoled the Baba saying that in pomegranate
there was only one seed endowed with spiritual blessings and that he
had had it.
At the age of eighteen, Baba Farid settled in Multan to undertake
further studies and joined a seminary at the mosque of Maulana
Minhaju'd-Din Tirmizi. There he met Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din Bakhtiyar Kaki
and asked to become his disciple. According to Jamali, Baba Farid was
initiated into silsila by the Khwajaat Multan and was advised to
complete his education there. Shortly afterwards the Khwaja left for
Delhi. Jamali addsthat the Baba then visited Qandhar to acquire
further knowledge, but it is more likely that Baba Farid reached Delhi
shortly after the Khwaja arrival and was initiated into the
distinguished group of Sufis residing in the Khwaja's jama'at khana.
Baba Farid lived in a small cell near the jama'at-khana and, under
guidance, performed severe asceticexercises. His austerities so
impressed Khwaja Mu'inu'd-Din during his visit to Delhi, that he took
a special interest in Baba Farid, prophesied his later fame and asked
Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din to join him in prayer for hisdisciple's future
greatness.
The severities practiced by the Baba in his Delhi cell failed to
satisfy him and he asked his master if he could perform a chilla which
involved spiritual exercises and fasting for forty days. The Khwaja
finally permitted him to perform a chilla-I ma'kus(inverted chilla).
Ignorant of the details he asked Bdru'd-Din Ghaznawi to obtain them
from the Khwaja who replied that it required a man to tie a rope
around his feet andremain suspended in a well, head down, for forty
days and nights, while both fasting and praying. The Baba founda
lonely mosque in Uch and, talking the mu'azzin into his confidence
performed the chilla-ima'kus.
The reason why the Shaikh came to be known as Ganj-I Shakar (Store of
Sugar) is described in different stories in various hagiological
works. A more popular version is that, overpowered by incessant
fasting for three days, the Baba placed some pebbles in his mouth.
These immediately changed into sugar. Baba Farid, believing that this
had been the work of the devil, spat them out. At midnight, again
overcome by hunger, he repeated his actions, thestones became sugar
and he refused to eat them. Finally, overpowered by extreme hunger he
ate some pebbles which hadbecome sugar so that he could continue
praying. Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din approved his action, telling him that
whatever was received from the unseen world must necessarily be good.
After the Baba's fame in Delhi became an obstacle to prayer and
meditation, he left for Hansi in the Hisar district. He was therefore
absent from Delhi at the time of the Khwaja's death, arriving five
days after the event.In accordance with the khwaja's will, Qazi
Hamidu'd-Din Nagauri gave Baba Farid relics from the Khwaja including
his khirqa, turban, stick and wooden sandals. Although this implied
that the Baba was the Khwaja's successors in Delhi, the Baba's
asceticism and total withdrawal from the world precluded any conflict
with Shaikh Badru'd-Din who had also been extremely close to the
khwaja and who wished to be his spiritual successor in Delhi.
First going to Hansi, the Baba finally settled at Ajodhan, where the
remained from about 1236 until his death on 5Muharram 664/17 October
1265. His long stay on th Stalaj, along one of the main routes from
Multan to Lahore and Delhi, was a spiritually rewarding experience.
Although he selected a lonely place toreside, Baba Farid was harassed
by local officersof the Qazi of Ajodhan and by the rudeness of the
people of the town. This was prompted mainly by the Qazi's hostility
towards the sufimovement.
Through an example of sanctity and austerity, Baba Farid sought to
reform the Muslims in Punjab.
Shaikh Faridu'd-Din livednear the Jaml' mosque, in a small house of
mud walls covered with a thatched roof. He had strictly forbidden the
useof burnt bricks for the building which, according to Chishti
tradition, were not simple enough for an ascetic's dwelling. The door
remained open until midnight as a welcome to visitors. Among his few
possessions, the Baba had a small rug which heused by night as a
blanket, but which hardly covered him. During the day it was used as a
sitting rug. Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din's stick rested behind his head as a
pillow. His food consisted of wild fruit and millet bread. Abstaining
from nourishment during the day, in the evening he broke his fast by
taking sherbet. A bowl of it would be brought to theBaba and often
mixed with dried grapes. Of this he drank never more than half,
dividing the rest among his visitors. After prayers, two pieces of
bread smeared with ghee weretaken to Baba Farid. One was given away,
the other he himself ate, sharing it with his favourite disciples.
The jama'at-khana consisted only of a thatched hall, used for communal
living and a separate cell was for the Shaikh's meditation.
The jama'at-khana contained not a single piece of furniture, every
member sat and slept onthe floor. On special occasions a bed was
provided for a new visitor. The Shaikh, followed the same practices as
his disciples. Once when ill and forcedto rest on the bed he
apologized profusely to those sitting on the floor.
The establishment was run by Baba's chief disciples. Fuel and wild
berries, which were then boiled, were collected from the forests. In
the early yearsof his stay at Ajodhan a zanbil (a basket made of palm
leaves hung round the neck) was carried by some members of the
jama'at-khana twice a day to the town and the offerings placed in it
were shared by everyone. The Baba also preferred to eat bread from the
zanbil, perhaps to be more fully integrated into the life of all
members of his jama'at-khana. Other Chishti Shaikhs, including his own
teachers, had permitted the borrowing of small amounts of money for
household needs, but the Baba strictly forbadethis practice. Anything
received as futuh if not used immediately was kept no longer than a
day and was distributed to the needy. To a sufi a new day ushered in
newhope in God, and a concern for future needswas seen as totally
opposed to a complete trust in Him.
The jama'at-khana, situated on a main route, attracted many visitors.
These included scholars, merchants, government servants, artisans,
Sufis and qalandars, in short, men from all classes and sections of
society. Some, disillusioned with a life of affluence and comfort,
became permanent members, others stayed for short periods to seek the
Baba's blessing and experience a spiritual rejuvenation. Some of his
eminent disciples who lived in other areas also visited the
jama'at-khana, but one such visitor, Maulana Badru'd-Din Ishaq, stayed
and became a steward of thejama'at-khana. Prestigious guests, and many
other people who came to the Shaikh werehumble. A large number
requested ta'wiz (amulets) and the demand for amulets became to
fulfill all requests, so often they would be written instead by
Maulana Ishaq.
The jama'at-khana received visitors who were often less than polite
and considerate to its inmates.
To Baba Farid, Sufism was a strenuous exerciseleading one to a pious
life within the society in which one lived. It demanded humility,
modesty , patience, fortitude and a cleansing of the heart from all
conceit. Self-abnegation involved careful concernfor any offence to
another, and in the event of such a situation,sincere and copious
apologies were demanded.
Baba Farid was him self a scholar and wrote excellent poetry in
Arabic, Persian and the local Hindawi dialect. He recited the Qur'an
perfectly, popularized the study of the 'Awarifu'l-M'aarif and
lectured on the subtle philosophy of the Lawa'ih of Qazi Hamidu'd-Din
Nagauri. Nevertheless, he did not pride himself on his intellectual
achievements and felt a genuine sense of humility. He encouraged
education in his disciplesand considered the 'ulama' to be nobler than
the common people, though he disliked their self-satisfied
indifference to others. The faqirs, he asserted, were superior to the
'ulama' and occupied the same place among them as the full moon
amongst a sonstellation of stars.
Baba Farid illustrated the difference between Shari's, Tariqa and
Haqiqa by using the zakat, an obligatory payment for all Muslims, as
an illustration. The zakat of Sharia'a was five dirhams our of 200,
the zakat of Tariqa omvolved the payment of 195 dirhams out of 200 and
the retention of only five dirhams and the zakat of Haqiqa entailed
the payment of everything, retaining nothing.
Five hundred aphorisms of Baba Farid were collected, of which the
following, selected by Amir Khwurd, give some insight into the Baba's
broadly based, humanitarian teachings.
1. Pray to God alone for everyone else takes away but He gives.
Whatever He gives cannot be taken away by anyone else.
2. Escaping from the carnal self should be deemed as a means of reaching God.
3. Do not satisfy the demands of the carnal self for its demands know no limit.
4. Do not regard the ignorant as amongst the living.
5. Avoid the ignorant who pose a though they were wise.
6. Do not utter a truth which resembles a lie.
7. Do not sell what people do not wish to buy.
8. Do not worry about position and wealth.
9. Do not eat every body's bread, but give bread to everybody.
10. Never forget death atany place.
11. Do not make a statement based on supposition.
12. Treat a calamity as the consequence of greed.
13. Do not boast of having committed a sin.
14. Do not make the heart a plaything of the devil.
15. Keep your internal self better than the external one.
16. Do not try to adorn yourself.
17. Do not lower yourselfin order to secure a position.
18. Do not borrow eitherfrom the helpless or from the upstart.
19. Protect the honour of old families.
20. Strive to obtain freshgrace everyday.
21. As far as possible prevent women for developing the habit of using
abusive language.
22. Consider good healtha divine blessing.
23. Be grateful but do not compel others to be grateful to you.
24. While doing good to others think that you arehelping yourself.
25. Give up immediately that which your heart finds evil.
26. Do not retain a slave who wishes to be sold.
27. Seek a pretext to perform a good work.
28. Always keep the doors of peace open in awar.
29. Consider levity and harshness signs of weakness.
30. Do not consider yourself safe from the enemy however conciliatory
he might appear.
31. Fear the man who fears you.
32. Do not rely on your own strength.
33. Self-restraint is neveras imperative as it is at the time of sexual desire.
34. Do not forget religion in the company of state dignitaries.
35. Glory and honour depend upon equity andjustice.
36. Be magnanimous to the righteous.
37. Do not consider anything a substitute forreligion.
38. There is no compensation for the (loss) of time.
39. Be magnanimous to the righteous.
40. Be arrogant to the stubborn.
41. Do not be extravagant in entertaining guests.
Make wisdom and solitude your 42. (main) provision.
43. Do not flee from calamity sent to you by God.
44. Consider the dervish who seeks riches as covetous.
45. entrust the government to the care of a God-fearing visor.
46. Annihilate the enemyby discussion and captivate the heart of
friends by hospitality.
47. Consider worldliness as unforeseen calamity.
48. Seek out your faults.
49. Acquire wealth honestly in order to be able to retain it.
50. Acquire knowledge through humility.
51. Do not be concerned by the bitter words of enemies.
52. Do not flee from the enemy.
53. If you wish to avoid disgrace, do not beg.
54. if you wish to make the whole world your enemy, be arrogant.
55. Keep your good and bad points secret.
56. Protect religion through knowledge.
57. If you wish to be great be humble.
58. If you want satisfaction, do not be jealous.
59. Accept affliction as a gift.
60. Try to become immortal by obliteratingyour carnal self.
The above sayings are profound, but the inner nature of the Baba's
mystical consciousness isbest expressed in the following verses which
he often recited while praying in solitude:
'I pray to live only for the sake of loving Thee,
I wish to become dustand dwell eternally under
Thy feet.
My principal expectation from both worlds in that,
I should die and live for Thee.'
According to the Shaikh, the initiation of a disciple should be
performed personally byhis preceptor. He was opposed to the
initiationcustoms involving head shaving rituals at the tombs of sufi
saints. When one of his own sons performed such a ceremony at the foot
of Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din Bakhtiyar's tomb, his father remarked that such
an initiation was invalid. True initiations involved the disciple
holding the Shaikh's hand, while it was usual for his Pir to offer
blessings and prayers forthe disciple's welfare.
Hadrat Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakkar died on 5th of Muharram 664 A.H.
corresponding to 17 October 1265 C.E. He was buried in Pak Pattan (135
miles off Lahore).

Sufees - Shaykh Abul-Hassan Ash-Shadhili (R.A)

Shaykh Abu'l-Hassan ash-Shadhili was born inthe north of Morocco in
1175 into a family of peasant labourers. For his education he went
tothe Qarawiyyin University in Fes, where he met some scholars who
introduced him to the sciences of Islamic Law. He also traveled to
many countries. In Iraq he met a great Sufi called Wasiti who told him
to return to his country where he could find Moulay Abdas-Salamibn
Mashish, the great Moroccan spiritual master. He did so, and became
the close follower of this spiritual master who initiated him in the
way of remembrance of Allah and enlightenment. When he met Moulay
Abdas-Salam after ritually washing himself, he said, 'O Allah, I have
been washed of my knowledge and action so that I do not possess
knowledge or action except what comes to me from this Shaykh.'
Shaykha Abu'l-Hassan ash-Shadhili travelled from Morocco to Spain and
finally settled down in Alexandria. Later on inlife, when asked who
hisspiritual master was, he used to reply, 'I used to be the close
follower of Moulay Abdas-Salam ibn Mashish, but I am no more the close
follower of any human master.' Shaykh Abu'l-Abbas al-Mursi (d. 1288),
who succeeded Shaykh ash-Shadhili as the next spiritual master of the
Order, was asked about the knowledge of his spiritual master and
replied, 'He gave me forty sciences. He was anocean without a shore.'
Shaykh ash-Shadhili had hundreds of close followers in both Alexandria
and Cairo, not only from among thecommon people but alsofrom among the
ruling classes. He taught his close followers to lead a life of
contemplation and remembrance of Allah while performing the normal
everyday activities of the world. He disliked initiating anywould-be
follower unless that person already had a profession. His admonition
to his close followers was to apply the teachings of Islam in their
own lives in the world and to transform their existence.
Shaykh Abu'l-Hassan Ash-Shadhili died in the south of Egypt near the
Red Sea while he was onhis way to the pilgrimage in Mecca in 1258. His
shrine, which appears to be nowhere, in the middle of the desert,
stands to the present day and is highlyvenerated. Near his tomb are
two wells, one containing bitter water, the other containing sweet
water. He was an interspace between two seas, the sea of the outerlaw
and the sea of the inner reality. The Shadhili Order derives itsname
form him. He said:
"O Allah, you have sentenced the people to abasement until they become
mighty, and Youhave sentenced them to loss until they find. The one
who has no abasement becomes the one who has no might, and the one who
has no loss becomes the one who has no finding. The one who lays claim
to finding without abasement is deluded. The one who lays claim to
finding without loss isa liar."

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Redemption

Question: I have done a lot of things which God would not be happy
about. Now that I realize that those things were not as trivial as I
thought and do carry a lot of significance in-front of God. I feel bad
and guilty.What should I do?
Answer: Although a Muslim should be concerned about every deed of his
and should constantly strive for his spiritual advancement, yet his
concern should not be a case of 'straining at a gnat and swallowing a
camel'. The puritanical attitude of being finical about trivialities
while ignoringthe real issues is not an Islamic attitude. The true
believers avoid big sins (see the Qur'an 42:37 and53:32) and
continually seek the forgiveness of their Lord' (9:112). If
yourattitude is not of insistingon your sin knowingly (3:135), which
insistence can at times eat up all your virtues (2:81), then you
should know that your Lord, whose love and care has sustained you
since you were a drop of 'mingled water', is immensely kind and
gracious to those who believe and put their trust in Him. If you are
sincerely trying to avoid sin, He'll replace the blunders you make
with the good deeds that are part of a Muslim's everyday life (25:70).
He understands all our imperfections and failings, and what He, in His
unfathomable mercy, requires of us is not perfection but sincerity.
For He knows. And He cares. Therefore, never let your depression after
blundering into a sin make you lose heart. Let each mistake be a
lesson, and a reason to move ahead with greater fervour. For that is
what Tawbah means: returning. Even if a true believer commits a
serious sin incidentally, he should remember thatthe doors of
repentance and atonement are always open. If he has wronged someone,
he should make the best effort to make amends, and if he has wronged
his own soul, he should ask God for forgiveness and make a solemn
pledge to restrain himselfin future.
If you do not deceive your Lord and turn back to Him, you'll find Him
welcoming you with open arms. In this is indeed a reason to rejoice.
So, never lose hope and never stop trying. 'The Lord is your shepherd.
You shall not want. He shall make you lie down in green pastures: He
shall lead you beside the still waters. He shall restore your soul: He
shall lead you in the path of righteousness for His name's sake.
Though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, fear not;
for you are withHim. His rod and His staff shall comfort you.'

The Concept of Brotherhood

Another fundamental element in the value system of Islam is the value
of human brotherhood. This value also is founded on the same
principles which have been discussed in connection with freedomand
equality. Besides those foregoing principles, human brotherhood in
Islam is based on an unshakable belief in the Oneness and Universality
of God the worshipped, the unity of mankind the worshippers, and the
unity of religion the medium of worship. For the Muslim, God is One,
Eternal and Universal. He is the Creator of all men, the Provider for
all men, the Judge of all men, and the Lord over all men. To Him,
social status, national supermanship, and racial origin are
insignificant. Before Him,all men are equal and brothers of one
another.
The Muslim believes in the unity of mankind with regard to the
sourceof creation, the original parentage, and the final destiny. The
source of creation is God Himself. The original common parentage is
that of Adam and Eve. To this first parentage, every human being
belongs and of it he partakes. As for the final destiny, there is no
doubt in the Muslim's mind that it will be to God, the Creator, to
Whom all men shall return.
The Muslim believes in the unity of God's religion. This means that
God does not confine His religion or favors to any particular nation,
race, orage. It further means thatthere can be no contradiction or
fundamental differences in the Religion of God. When all this is
interpreted properly, it will leave no ground for pretended supremacy
or presumptuous exclusivity. And when it isimparted into the
humanmind, it will provide man with a clear concept and a solid basis
of human brotherhood. Because the Muslim believes in the Oneness of
God, the unity of mankind, and the unity of religion, he believes in
all the Messengers and Revelations of God without discrimination.

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stories - Friend - rival

I am 38 y. old and happilymarried for many years. We have two
wonderful children. I have a problem that many wiveshave, so I would
like to help me with advice.
My husband has a childhood friend who married 3-4 years after usto a
woman I can briefly describe as the dream woman for every man -
pretty, with nice body, kind, helpful, etc. I also liked her we are
family friends for many years.
My husband is not the type womanizer, and keeps family and family
values close to his heart and with few exceptions we haven't had
problemswith the opposite sex, but I was consumed by a secret
jealousy, which sometimes makes me behave abnormally and that bothers
me.
We visit our friends on many occasions and often I feel like a
"secondhand" woman not because my husband offends me or something,but
I see him take sleek looks at her and feel his adrenaline, which
increases when he comesclose to her/ no way all men feel that way /,
but this is the same looks andpassion with which he looked at my
before and although I have tried to keep good appearance, be the
perfect housewife,mother and mistress I have a feeling of helplessness
because I know that even if nothing happens he's in love with her and
fight with himself internally.
Please advise me how to behave – don't want to ruin the relationship
with our friends, it makesme feel like the villain of the story the
more because they are friends of the children, but at thesame time I'm
afraid of the events that may occurand destroy the harmonyin my
family.

stories - Hatred

I'm married abroad and my life is a hell. He works a lot all the time
– 12 hours a day.
He never pays me enough attention and myopinion is of no great
importance to him. We rarely have sex… He has forbidden me to find a
job in my line. I work in his company but I'm not fond of my
responsibilities, my co-workers and my salary.
He said he will never divorce me, his family is such snobs. I use
three languages and I have university education, but they don't care
what I am, what I feel and what I want.
Is there any woman like me?

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THE VALIDITY OF IMAANDEPENDS ON TWO IMPORTANT POINTS

1. The validity of Imaan depends on two important points:
1. Respect for Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), and
2. To love him above all creation within the universe.
2. If, at any time, anybodyshows the slightest disrespect for the
station of Sayyiduna Muhammadur Rasoolullah (sallal laahualaihi
wasallam), then there must not remain an atom of love and respect for
that person in your heart. It can be anybody whom you love and
respect, for example, father, Ustaaz (teacher), children, brother,
Murshid (Spiritual Guide), Molvi, Mufti, Hafez, lecturer, Imam, or
friends, etc.
3. Such a person should be totally severed from family and community.
His name should cause great discomfort to you. His knowledge or status
should be absolutely rejected and discarded.
4. If you accepted or observed silence to his insult to Rasoolullah
(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), kept good friends with him, did not
regard him as a wretched and mean-spirited person, you should check
where you stand in the test of Imaan!

THE VALUE OF IMAAN

1. Until such a time a person does not love and respect the exalted
Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) , even though that person
worships all his life, his worship is fruitless and rejected.
2. Numerous Jogees, Monks and Hermits taketo seclusion and spend their
lives in the Remembrance of Allah Ta'ala. Some of them even indulge in
the Zikrof "La ilaha illal lah" (There is no god but Allah), but they
do not respect and love Rasoolullah (sallal laahualaihi wasallam).
What benefit is such Ibaadah? Allah Ta'ala states in the Holy Quran:
"Whatever deeds they have performed, I have destroyed them all." (Para
19: Ruku 1)

WHAT ASPECTS MAKES A PERSON A MUSLIM

1. For a person to becomea Muslim it is necessary for him or her to
believe Islam as the true religion and not toreject any of it's
necessary aspects. A person should also not have beliefs contradictory
or against the religion's necessary aspects (Zaroriyaat-e-Deen).
2. A Muslim must love and respect all those who are the beloved of
AllahTa'ala and His Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) even though
that person may be his enemy.
3. He must disrespect and hate all those who disrespect and hate Allah
Ta'ala and His Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) even if that
person may be his beloved son.
4. Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) states : "One
who loves for Allah, hates anyone because of Allah, spends for Allah
and holds back forAllah, then, indeed, he has completed his Imaan."
5. If the person does not have the knowledge about all the religion's
necessary aspect, i.e. even if he is a completeand utter illiterate,
he must believe in Islam and in the Messenger ofIslam (sallal laahu
alaihiwasallam) and not haveany beliefs against the necessary aspects
of Islam (Zarooriyat-e-Deen).
6. Whether he cannot pray the Kalima (submission into Islam) properly
he is still a Muslim and not a Kaafir. Therefore, if he misses Salaah,
Saum, Hajj, etc. he will be a grave sinner, but will remain a Muslim.
This isbecause deeds are not a part of faith.
7. Whatever is without doubt Haraam (forbidden) and to believe it as
Halaal (allowed), and to believe something Haraam, which is no doubt
Halaal, is Kufr, when there is no suspicion of a particular thing
being Halaal or Haraam or theperson knows this.

What is Imaan and Kufr ?

1. Imaan is to accept every word of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam) as the absolute truth and to testify
whole-heartedly the reality and truth of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam).
2. One who observes the above would be called a Muslim, that is, if
any of his words, actions or conditions does not reject, insult or
falsify Allah Ta'ala and His Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
3. If you reject one aspect,which you know that tobelieve is part of
Islam, then this is Kufr. For example, to reject Qiyamat, Angels,
Jannat,Dozakh, Hisab, or not tobelieve that Salaah, Saum, Zakaah or
Hajj is Fardh (obligatory) would make one out of the folds of Islam.
4. It is also Kufr not to believe that the Holy Quran is the Words of
Allah Ta'ala.
5. To insult the Holy Ka'aba, the Holy Quran, or any of the Prophets
or Angels is also Kufr.
6. To degrade any of the Sunnats (actions of the Holy Prophet sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam) , to make jokes of the orders of Shari'ah
(Islamic law) or to reject or suspect it untrue any known and
recognised aspects of Islam is also definitely Kufr.
7. To be a Muslim you have to, together with faith and belief, also
pledge your status as a Muslim.
8. One must pledge his faith unless there is a difficulty, for
example, you cannot speak, or tospeak would mean to lose your life or
would lose a part of the body, then it is not necessary to pledge your
faith with your tongue. However, it is always best and a means of
great reward not to sayanything against Islam even to save your life.
9. To perform actions thatare signs of Kufr and if you perform them
you will be recognised as a Kaafir. For example, to wear a "Janeo" (a
sacred thread worn by Hindus), or to have a lock of hair (plats for
men) the same as Buddhists have, or to wear a cross are all actions of
Kufr.

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Amr ibn al-Jamuh - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

Amr ibn al-Jamuh was one of the leading men in Yathrib in the days of
Jahiliyyah. He was the chief of the Banu Salamah and was knownto be
one of the most generous and valiant persons in the city.
One of the privileges of the city's leaders was having an idol to
himselfin his house. It was hoped that this idol would bless the
leader inwhatever he did. He wasexpected to offer sacrifices to it on
special occasions and seek its help at times of distress. The idol of
Amr was called Manat. He had made it from the most priceless wood. He
spenta great deal of time, money and attention looking after it and he
anointed it with the most exquisite perfumes.
Amr was almost sixty years old when the first rays of the light of
Islam began to penetrate the houses of Yathrib. House after house was
introduced to the new faith at the hands of Musab ibn Umayr, the first
missionary sent out to Yathrib before the hijrah. It was through him
that Amr's three sons--Muawwadh, Muadh and Khallad--became Muslims.
One of their contemporaries was the famous Muadh ibn Jabal. Amr's
wife, Hind, also accepted Islamwith her three sons but Amr himself
knew nothing of all this .
Hind saw that the peopleof Yathrib were being won over to Islam and
that not one of the leaders of the city remained in shirk excepther
husband and a few individuals. She loved her husband dearly and was
proud of him but she was concerned that he should die in a state of
kufr and end up in hell-fire.
During this time, Amr himself began to tell uneasy. He was afraid that
his sons would give up the religion of their forefathers and follow
the teaching of Musab ibn Umayr who, within ashort space of time, had
caused many to turn away from idolatry and enter the religion of
Muhammad. To his wife, Amr therefore said:
"Be careful that your children do not come into contact with this man
(meaning Musab ibn Umayr) before we pronounce an opinion on him."
"To hear is to obey," she replied. "But would you like to hear from
your son Muadh what he relates from this man?""Woe to you! Has Muadh
turned away from his religion without my knowing?" The good woman felt
pity from theold man and said: "Not at all. But he has attended some
of the meetings of this missionary and memorized some of the things he
teaches." "Tell him to come here," he said. When Muadh come,he
ordered: "Let me hearan example of what this man preaches." Muadh
recited the lalihah (the Opening Chapter of the Quran):
"In the name of God, the most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace. All
praise is due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds, The most
Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace. Lord of the Day of Judgment!
You alone do we worship and to You alone do we turn for help. Guide us
on the straight way, the way of those upon whom you have bestowed Your
blessings, not of those who have been condemned by You, nor of those
who go astray."
"How perfect are these words, and how beautiful!" exclaimed the
father. "Is everythinghe says like this?"
"Yes indeed, father. Do you wish to swear allegiance to him? All your
people have already done so" urged Muadh.
The old man remained silent from a while and then said, "I shall not
do so until I consult Manat and see what he says.""What indeed would
Manat say, Father? It is only a piece of wood. It can neither think
nor speak." The old man retorted sharply, "I told you, I shall not do
anything without him."
Later that day, Amr wentbefore Manat. It was the custom of the
idolators then to place an old woman behind the idol when they wished
to speak to it. She would reply on behalf of the idol, articulating,
so theythought, what the idol had inspired her to say. Amr stood
before the idol in great awe and addressed profuse praises to it. Then
he said:
"O Manat no doubt you know that this propagandist who was delegated to
come to us from Makkah does not wish evil on anyone but you. He has
come only tostop us worshipping you. I do not want to swear allegiance
to him in spite of the beautiful words I have heard fromhim. I have
thus come to get your advice. So please advise me."
There was no reply from Manat. Amr continued:
"Perhaps your are angry.But up till now, I have done nothing to harm
you... Never mind, I shall leave you for a few days to let your anger
go away."
Amr's sons knew the extent of their father's dependence on Manat and
how with time he had become almost a part of it. They realized however
that the idol's place in his heart was being shaken and that they had
to help him getrid of Manat. That must be his path to faith in God.
One night Amr's sons went with their friend Muadh ibn Jabal to Manat,
took the idol From its place and threwit in a cess pit belonging to
the Banu Salamah. They returned to their homes with no one knowing
anything aboutwhat they had done. When Amr woke up the following
morning, he went in quiet reverence to pay his respects to his idol
but did not find it.
"Woe to you all," he shouted. "Who has attacked our god last night"
There was no reply from anyone. He began to search for the idol,
fuming with rage and threatening the perpetrators of the crime.
Eventually he found the idol turned upside down on its headin the pit.
He washed and perfumed it and returned it to its usual place saying.
"If I find out who did this to you, I will humiliate him." The
following night the boysdid the same to the idol. The old man
recovered it, washed and perfumed it as he had done before and
returned it to its place. This happened several times until one night
Amr put a sword around the idol's neck and said to it: "O Manat, I
don't know who is doing this to you. If you have any power of good in
you, defend yourself against this evil. Here is a sword for you."
The youths waited until Amr was fast asleep. They took the sword from
the idol's neck and threw it into the pit. Amrfound the idol Lying
facedown in the pit with the sword nowhere in sight. At last he was
convinced that the idol had no power at all and did not deserve to be
worshipped. It was not long before he entered the religion of Islam.
Amr soon tasted the sweetness of Iman or faith in the One True God. At
the same time hefelt great pain and anguish within himself at the
thought of every moment he had spent in shirk. His acceptance of the
new religion was total and he placed himself, his wealth and his
children in the service of God and His Prophet.
The extent of his devotion was shown during the time of the battle of
Uhud. Amr saw his three sons preparing for the battle. He looked at
the three determined young men fired by the desire to gain martyrdom,
success and the pleasure of God. The scene had a great effect on him
and he resolved to go out with them to wage jihad under the banner of
the messengerof God. The youths, however, were all against their
father carrying out his resolve. He was already quite oldand was
extremely weak.
"Father," they said,"surely God has excused you. So why do you take
this burden on yourself?"
The old man became quite angry and went straight away to the Prophet
to complain about his sons: "O Rasulullah! My sons here want to keep
me away from this source of goodness arguing that I am old and
decrepit. By God, I long to attain Paradise this way even though I am
old and infirm."
"Let him," said the Prophet to his sons."Perhaps God, the Mighty and
the Great, will grant him martyrdom."
Soon it was time to go out to battle. Amr bade farewell to his wife,
turned to the qiblah andprayed: "O Lord, grant me martyrdom and
don'tsend me back to my family with my hopes dashed." He set out in
the company of his threesons and a large contingent from his tribe,
the Banu Salamah.
As the battle raged, Amr could be seen moving in the front ranks,
jumping on his good leg (his other leg was partially lame), and
shouting, "I desire Paradise, I desire Paradise."
His son Khallad remainedclosely behind him and they both fought
courageously in defense of the Prophet while many other Muslims
deserted in pursuit of booty. Father and son fell on the battlefield
and died within moments of each other.

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Is it true that the Day of Judgement will come on a Friday, 10 th Muharram?

my question is with regards to the day of judgement. from what i have
read in the sahih(accurate) hadith itis stated that the day of
judgement will come on friday(10th moharram).My question is if it is
friday in saudi arabia then it will be another day in USA and so
on....so basically it is never friday all over the world at one
time...please answer, this has been troubling me for sometime.
Praise be to Allaah.
Everyone who gives a specific time or date for the onset of the Day of
Judgement is a fabricator and a liar. Theonset of the Day of
Resurrection is the "Hour" of which Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"They ask you about theHour (Day of Resurrection): 'When willbe its
appointed time?' Say: 'The knowledge thereof is with my Lord (Alone).
None can reveal its time but He'" [al-A'raaf 7:187]
But when the Day of Resurrection comes, at the time which is knownto
Allaah, which will be aFriday, then the system of this universe, with
its night and day, sun and moon and stars, will be changed. We do not
know whether the America which exists today will exist then or not,
for Allaah is Able to destroy whichever of these nations He wills
before the Day of Resurrection, for Allaah is Able to do all things.

Ruling on wearing necklaces for men

What is the ruling on wearing necklaces for men? Please note that this
is not by way of imitating (women); nowadays it has becomequite common
among men, and it is no longer limited to women. Sometimes it is worn
because of necessity. Does this come under the heading of
imitatingwomen?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) forbade men to imitate women and women to imitate men.
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari,5885.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) cursed men who wear women's clothing and women who wear
men'sclothing.
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4098; classed assaheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani
(may Allah have mercy on him).
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 11/268: There is no difference
of opinion among the fuqaha' that it is haraamfor men to imitate women
in their movements, soft speech, adornments, clothing and other things
that are exclusively theirs according to custom or nature… Ibn Daqeeq
al-'Eid gave as a guideline on what it is haraam to imitate them in as
being whatever is exclusively theirs, whether it is the thing itself
or the way it is made or the fact that it is more commonly made for
women, and the converse is also true. Endquote.
See also the answer to question no. 81994
Secondly:
It does not mean that something is not the kind of imitation that is
haraam if there are people who wear the item concerning which there is
the fear of it being imitation in a certain country or at a certain
time. It is very rare to find none of it at all. Rather what may take
it out of the category of being haraam is if it becomes widespread in
that particular place, and it becomes commonly practised and like a
custom, without anyone objecting to it, to the point that the one who
does it is no longer regarded as odd, and people of dignity and
decency would not refrain from it.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: at-Tabari
said:What is meant is that it isnot permissible for men to imitate
women with regard to the garments and adornments that areonly for
women, or vice versa.
I say: This applies to ways of speaking and walking. As for styles of
clothing, that may vary according to the differences in customs from
one land to another. There may be some people who do notdifferentiate
between the clothing of their women and their men, but the women are
distinguished by observance of hijab and covering.
End quote from Fath al-Baari, 10/332
In the commentary on al-Qawaa'id al-Fiqhiyyahby Shaykh Sa'd ibn Naasir
ash-Shatri it says: Custom (al-'urf) in any country must meet certain
conditions in order for it to be acceptable in sharee'ah. The
conditions for custom are four:
The first condition is thatthe custom should be consistent and widely
practised; it should not be inconsistent because if it is inconsistent
and not widely practised, it isnot called custom. This iswhat they
expressed by saying: What counts is what is widely known and
practised, not that which is rarely practised.End quote.
In al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (30/58) it says: What is important with
regard to custom is that it should be consistent or widely practised.
What is meantby consistent is that the custom is ongoing and persists
so that it does not disappear in different situations. What is meant
by widely practised is that it is done a great deal, and isnot done.
That is because consistency and being widely practised proves that the
custom isdefinitively well established and well known. As-Suyooti
said: It is regarded as a custom if it is consistent; if it is not
consistent then it is not regarded as a custom. End quote.
With regard to the necklaces that you askedabout, it is not known
inyour country (Saudi) that this custom is consistent, and it is not
widely practised among men without any objection; rather hardly anyone
does it except effeminate men and their ilk, or those who imitate
women or evildoers. So it is not permissible for you to wear it for
that reason.

Ruling on one who says “Harramt (she is haraam to me)” but does not intend to divorce

I hope that you can advise me about one who says "Harramt (she is
haraam to me)" but does not intend it as divorce.
I know some Sudanese people who say "Harramt (she is haraam to me)",
intending divorce thereby. I am not Sudanese, but I live with them and
I have picked up some of their culture. One day, I was having
anargument witha friend of mine from the Sudan, and he said to me: You
will never let any Sudanese ride in your car after today. Without
thinking, I said: "Harramt (she is haraam to me)", meaning Yes indeed;
I had no intention whatsoever of divorce or anything of that nature –
Allah forbid. I did my marriage contract two months ago and have not
yet consummated the marriage.
Since that day I have been very worried. I have read some of the
fatwas on the Islamweb and Tareeq al-Islam websites, and according to
the fatwas, this phrase depends on the intention at the time it was
spoken; some of them said that it is regarded as an oath andthe
expiation for it is thesame as the expiation for breaking an oath
(kafaarat yameen).
I have asked Allah a great deal for forgiveness and I have promised
Allah that I willnot do it again. I also fasted for three days as the
expiation for breaking an oath. But I wanted to write to you and
explain to you what happened so that you could put my mind at rest.
Praise be to Allaah.
What you have mentioned about uttering the word "Harramt" is subject
to further discussion:
1 - If you said this word without thinking and without intending what
it means, then you do not have to do anything.
2- If you meant what you said, then there is a difference of opinion
among the fuqaha' concerning this word. Some of them regarded it as
zihaar (a jaahili form of divorce in whicha man said to his wife: You
are to me as my mother's back), and some of them regarded it as
talaaq.
The most correct opinionconcerning this matter is: if he intended it
as talaaq, zihaar or an oath, then it is as he intended. If he did not
intend anything, then hehas to offer expiation for breaking an oath.
This is the view of Imam ash-Shaafa'i (may Allah have mercy on him).
See also the answer to question 81984
So long as you did not intend talaaq (divorce) or zihaar, then
expiationeither is or is not required; as you have offered expiation
for your oath, you do not have to do anything elsenow.
And Allah knows best.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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HOW THE DAJJAL WILL BE EXPOSED ?

1. Dajjal will be Kaanaa (one-eyed) person.
2. He will make Dawaa (claim) to be Allah Ta'ala.
3. On his head, the letters "K, F, R" (Kaaf, Feh, Reh)will be written,
meaning "Kaafir" (infidel), and this will be read by all Muslims, but
it will not be seen by the Kaafirs.
4. He will travel very fast. In forty days he will travel the entire
world except Haramain Sharifain (the two HolyMosques in Makkah and
Madinah).
5. Within these forty days, the first day will be the length of one
year, the second day will be the length of one month, the third will
be the length of one week and the rest will each be twenty-four hours
long.
6. His mischief will be very strong. He will have with him one garden
and one place of fire. He will call these Jannat and Dozakh and
wherever he goes he will take them with him. His Jannat will really be
fire and his Dozakh will really be a place for rest. He will order
people to believe him to be the lord. Whoever believes him as the
lord, he will put them into his Jannat, and whoever rejects him, he
will throw them into his Dozakh.
7. He will bring back to life the dead. He will make rainfall. He will
command the land andit will grow crops. He will go into areas of
desolation. The treasures of these areas will be with him like bees
are with flowers. He will show all kinds of miracles like these, which
reallywill be nothing but magic and illusions. In reality, there will
be nothing with him and that is why when he disappears everything will
disappear with him and people with have nothing.
8. When he will wish to enter Haramain Sharifain, the Angels will
force his face to another direction.
9. He will have a whole army of Jews with him.
10. There will be three earthquakes in Madinatul Munawwarah. The
reason for this is that there will be people there behaving like
Muslims but they will be Kufaar and Munafiqeen and through fear of the
earthquakes they willleave Madinatul Munawwarah and join the army of
Dajjal.

The Coming of Qiyamat and Some Signs

One day the entire world, humans, animals, Jinns, Angels, earth,
skiesand whatever that is in them will come to an end or perish. There
will be nothing left except for Allah Ta'ala. This is known as the
coming of Qiyamat. Before the coming of Qiyamat, there will be some
signs that will appear, out of which, we write some ofthem here:
1. Khasf meaning that there will be three places where the earthwill
open up and men will be buried alive. One will be in the west,one in
the east and one in Arabia.
2. The knowledge of religion will disappear,meaning the Ulema
(scholars of religion) will be taken away.
3. There will be a large exploitation of illiteracy.
4. There will be great useof alcohol and adulteryto such a shameful
extent that it will be ascommon as donkeys eating grass.
5. There will be fewer males and more females. The ratio will be fifty
women compared to one man.
6. There will be a lot of goods.
7. In Arabia, there will be green scenery such as green crops, parks
andstreams. The streams will open its treasures and there will be
mountains of gold.
8. Men will listen to their women and not their parents. They will
stay in close contact with their friends and stay away from their
parents.
9. There will be great useof music.
10. People will curse their ancestors and speak ill of them.
11. The wrongdoers and non-capable will be made leaders.
12. Degraded people, who could not find cheap clothing, will own large mansions.
13. People will scream and shout in Mosques.
14. To stay in Islam will be so difficult as it is difficult to hold
hot ash in the hand. Up till the extent that a person will go the
cemetery and wish that they were in thatgrave.
15. There will be no quality in time. A yearwill be like a month.
Amonth will be like a week. A week will be like a day. A day will be
like as if an item has caught fire and quickly turns into ash,meaning
time will go very fast.
16. Savage animals will speak to humans. Thepoint of a whip and the
heel of a shoe willspeak and will informyou of what has happened in
the home. In fact, a person's thigh will speak and inform himof
things.
17. The sun will rise from the west. At this point, the doors of
repentance will close.One can no longer bring faith into Islam.
18. Except for the big "Dajjal" (impostor), there will be thirty other
impostors who will all claim to be Prophets whereas in fact Prophecy
has finished. There will be no other Prophet after our Prophet Hazrat
Muhammad Mustapha (sallal laahualaihi wasallam). Out of these
impostors, there have already been some, for example, Mussailamma
Kazzab, Taleeha Bin Khuwild, Asood Ansi, Mirza Ali Muhammad Baab,
Mirza Ali Hussain Baha'ullah, Mirza Gulam Ahmed Qadyani, etc. and
those that are left willcertainly come.

Ch 12: Isabella’s Prayer

Evening came after anxious waiting and Isabella started for the garden
of Cordova well in time. On the way she met Michael's daughter,
Mirano, who also accompanied her and herother two friends, who had
listened to the talk atMichael's house, also joined them in the
garden.
Mirano: Isabella, there is great sorrow on your face. Why? You have to
part some day from your relatives.
Isabella: I was in great plight after I parted from you. But luckily
my mother, being engaged in other things, could notcome to me,
otherwise Heaven knows what trouble she would have caused. But now by
Allah's Grace I am not worried but prepared to bear all troubles for
the sake of truth.
Mirano: But, sister, you were wonderful today, you gave such crushing
replies to priests that they were flabbergasted and could not reply,
and moreover whatever you argued was from the Bible.
Mertha (the other friend):But what is strange is that despite being
silenced they do not confess.
Mirano: They may not confess by mouth but their hearts do believe.
After you left my father Michael said to Peter: It istrue that the
divinity of Christ is not proved by the Bible, but anyway wehave to
abide by the judgment of the Church. Father Peter was convinced of the
weight of your arguments and said that your arguments were not weak.
Mertha: But today's discussion proved that Islam is a true and firm
religion while in Christianity there is nothing but misguidance.
Mirano (to Isabella): Would you like to leave your parents, brothers,
sisters and relatives, and the life of ease and comfort? And what will
you do if your father is strict on you and gives you up to the
Inquisition?
Isabella: I have now freedmy mind from all these worries. Allah Who
has conferred on me the boon of Islam will also help me in future and
will not discard my good cause. I find great solace in the verse of
the Quran which says: "Whosoever has fear of Allah in him, then Allah
will provide for him the means to findthe path of salvation and give
him sustenance fromquite unexpected quarters."
Mirano: Well, when shall we go to meet Ziad b. Umar and his company?
Isabella : We have to go there a little early so as tobenefit by the
company of respected Ziad as much as possible and return home in time.
Mirano: Will you report torespected Ziad the eventsof today?
Isabella : Why not? But letus go now so that we may reach there at the
time of isha (early night prayer) and return after staying there for
an hour.
Coming out of the gardenof Cordova Isabella, accompanied by her
friends, took her way to the' great Mosque of Cordova and on the way
Isabella informed her friends that, although in her heart she has
becomea Muslim , she has not been formally converted. She would now
take the pledge at the blessed hands of Ziad b. Umar, so that Allah
may grant her more courage and firmness and take in her heart the full
measure of Allah's help. All her friends congratulated heron her good
intention and expressed their pleasure also.
Half an hour after this, the girls entered the inner part of Umar
Lahmi's house, which adjoined the house of Ziad b. Umar, who had
already been informed oftheir visit by Umar Lahmi.So after isha prayer
divines, devotees, traditionists, poets, men of letters, academicians
and eminent scholars assembled there. After formal talk Umar Lahmi
asked Ziad b. Umar's permission to bring the girls to his presence,
and on getting permission the girls were called fromUmar Lahmi's
house.
As soon as the girls arrived Ziad asked about their welfare. Isabella
narrated to him the happenings of the last two days with her
father,the head priest, and other priests and also thetalk she had had
with Michael and Peter on different subjects and also the arguments
which she had put beforethem. The learned men present there applauded
her achievement and greatly encouraged her. All were impressed by
theprofound knowledge of Isabella.
Isabella (to Ziad b. Umar):Respected sir, this has all passed and
whatever comes after will be seen, but now my request is that you
formally convertme to Islam and include me in the universal
brotherhood of the believers of one God. So Ziad b. Umar formally
converted her and all those present prayed sincerely for her firmness.
Ziad b. Umar: Daughter Isabella, now that you have formally embraced
Islam, you should put a veil on your face as Islam enjoins concealment
of the woman's face. In future you should always be veiled. At the
same time five times of prayer are incumbent on you and see that it is
never missed as this is the only door to felicity. Well, are these
girls with you the same whom you had mentioned ?
Isabella: Yes, one of them is the daughter of Michael, whose name is
Mirano, and the other two are my friends and confidantes. Their names
are Mertha and Hanana.
Ziad: Have they any doubt about Islam?
Isabella: They have no doubt about the truth of Islam and, like me,
they believe in it and when Allah wishes they will formally declare
their Islam, yet Mirano has some doubts which my spiritual father,
Umar Lahmi, will resolve. She will come here some timeand present her
doubts and have satisfaction.
Umar Lahmi: It appears from your father's attitude that he will be
strict with you and it will not be surprising if he secretly hands you
over to the Inquisition. By the morning Michael and Peter will report
to him the details of your debate after which he is sure to antagonise
you. Now, what remedy have you thought of it ?
Isabella: Allah knows better what is going to happen in future. I have
submitted my case to Allah. Yet I have resolved that if he is more
oppressive I will come over to your house.
Umar Lahmi: You may do this whenever you like; anyway you have to do
this sometime, for Christians are not so broadminded as not to oppress
you and leave you free when they find that you have accepted Islam.
Isabella (to Zia'd b. Umar): Respected sir, you pray for me that Allah
may grant me endurance and firmness. Now permit us to leave.
Ziad b. Umar and others present said goodbye to the girls and, after
leaving the place, Isabellaand her three friends gotto their
respective homes.
Isabella slept in a corner of her house and, long before dawn, when
she woke up, she could not leave her bed. While still in bed the voice
of Allah-o-Akbar reached her earsand made her quite restless, while
the idea ofGlory and Grandeur of Allah and His Awe and Might filled
her eyes and tears began to fall from them. Getting some solace after
weeping she fell in prostration and with all humbleness prayed to the
Creator of the earths and heavens: "O Allah! grant me Thy love and Thy
most loved one. O Allah ! fill my heartwith the light of Islam and
Tauhid (Unity) and make the obedience of Thy Apostle my fate in life.
O Allah! I am so grateful to Thee for conferring on me the honour of
following the Mercy of the Worlds.O Allah! grant my parents, my
relatives and all Christians and the misguided ones the blessings of
Islam and let us all live and die on Islam. O my Lord! just grant this
humble prayer of the oppressed one, forThou art the hearer and the
seer."
After concluding this prayer Isabella felt that her soul had got
solace and a great load had been lifted from her mind. She found that
a treasure-house of endurance, firmness and elation had been installed
into her heart. She was very happy as she had secured a great wealth
like Islam. She was now fearless and bold, for the Tauhid had cast off
from her all fears except the fear of Allah.
Isabella's mother was in an unusual great rage. It appeared that Peter
and others had conveyed all their talk to her parents and convinced
them that she had become an apostate and all the doors of persuasion
had closed on her.
Isabella – A girl of Islamic Spain

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